Most crutches which have been heretofore provided have caused considerable difficulties in terms of compact storage of the crutches, and the ability to use the crutch without difficulty, followed by placement of the crutch in an unobtrusive, out-of-the-way position when it is not in use, and is to be laid down in a crowded situation where space is at a premium. Wooden, forearm and all metal types of crutches commonly seen are difficult to quickly release from the grasp of the user in the event of an emergency where the crutch will impede the ability of the user to protect himself in a fall, or control a fall to reduce the hazard thereof. The wooden, forarm and other types of metal crutches are of substantial length and cannot be disassembled into multiple convenient sized components when not in use. This causes a problem of storing the crutch, or of placing it in an out-of-the-way location where it does not interfere with the freedom of movement of the user or other persons in close proximity to the user.
Most conventional crutches also either do not provide for easy height adjustment to accommodate the crutch to users of different stature, or if such ability to reset the height of the crutch is present, the mechanism by which this is accomplished is less than optimum in that it requires considerable strength, or is so complicated that it is difficult to understand well enough to quickly, easily and unfailingly utilize the mechanism to adjust the height or disassembly of the crutch.